Container drive-by-transfer and system

Abstract

A dock or railway has a length of parallel track-driveway spaced along side for rail mounted tractor-trailers or truck-bus chassis-cab to guide on and travel to transfer cargo or people containers between the dock or cars in a train stopped for these transfers. The truck bed, chassis, or dock has one or more parallel oblique channels extensible or with roller bars extensible obliquely from a side to engage transfer rollers added on the container or oblique channels in the bottom of the container to move the container between the truck bed and the dock or car according to the direction the truck is driven or moved along parallel past the dock or car or the container is extended to initiate transfer. Various actuators can initiate and complete the transfer between the truck and standing train car or dock. Passenger and freight containers are interchangeable on the same bus-truck chassis and railway car container berth. Accumulating conveyors can carry the containers side-by-side to and from the transfer platform, which can be on a ship dock crane. Standard ISO containers can be handled without modification.

I claim as my invention:  
     
       1. A drive-by container transfer system comprising in combination: a transport container, a platform therefor, having at least one substantially straight transfer side and conveying means for conveying said container at right angles straight to said side for transfer onto and off from said platform, a driveway spaced parallel to and along said transfer side, a vehicle for driving along said driveway and having a bed for supporting said container wits sides parallel said transfer side, conveying means secured at an oblique angle across on said bed and means thereon extendible to engage said container when on said platform to transfer it parallelly on to oblique angle on staid bed and straight on said platform and guide said container parallelly between (to or from) said platform and said vehicle according to the direction of movement of said vehicle along said transfer side of said platform and operated by that movement. 
     
     
       2. A container transfer system including in combination: a transport container, a bed and a platform each for said container and each having an adjacent side, a vehicle having said bed thereon parallel along said adjacent side of said platform for parallel transfer of said container therebetween, interfitting cam track means on both said container and said bed running at an oblique angle across said bed and extendible out along said adjacent side for aligning and engaging said container to be moved parallel along said oblique angle while said vehicle moves parallel to said adjacent side in a first direction, said platform having conveying means for moving said container straight onto and from said adjacent side parallel thereto, and locating push means for engaging said container with said platform to transfer said container to said platform when said bed is moved parallel along said adjacent side in the opposite direction. 
     
     
       3. A system as in  claim 1 , a first railway track a railway car sitting thereon, said driveway including a second railway a track parallel and spaced aways along said first railway track, said platform being a berth for said container on said car, said vehicle being a tractor-trailer (semitrailer) having HI rail wheels on said second track, to drive-by said railway car for transfer of said container. 
     
     
       4. A system as in  claim 2 , there being at least two said containers one for passengers and one for cargo, said vehicle being a highway bus-truck chassis and cab with said bed for haul of a both said containers one at a time on said bed. 
     
     
       5. A system as in  claim 2 , said interfitting cam track means including a plurality of extendable and retractable channels hiving upturned sides, said container having extendable and retractable arms, a roller on the end of each of said arms depending therefrom and aligned when the arm is extended to engage in a said channel when also extended to draw said container from said platform to said bed when there is relative movement parallel between said bed and platform in the direction the channels are pointing. 
     
     
       6. A system as in  claim 2 , said interfitting cam track means including a plurality of channelways secured at the oblique angle spaced apart and secured across on said bed, a roller track arm with cam rollers spaced along the top is supported to travel along each of said channelways to each extend a distance from said side of said bed, means for extending and retracting said track arms, said container having corresponding channels run legs down at the oblique angle across the bottom of the container each to align with said cam rollers on a said track arm whereby said cam rollers can be pushed into to enter said channels on said container to draw said container onto said bed when said vehicle is moved alongside said straight transfer side in the direction of said cam rollers entering said channels on said container. 
     
     
       7. A system as in  claim 6 , each of said track arms having a lever centrally pivoted to its outer end (engaging end) with one of said rollers on each end to direct disengaging force lengthwise said arm. 
     
     
       8. A system as in  claim 6 , means for extending and retracting each said track arm, means on said bed for pushing said container fully onto said platform, find push means extendable between said bed and platform to move said container out to engage for transfer. 
     
     
       9. A container as in  claim 6  having a flat bottom, said corresponding channels being recessed flush therein thereacross, the legs of these channels flaring out at the obtuse angles to blend into the side edges of the container for said cam rollers to enter and exit said channels. 
     
     
       10. A system as in  claim 2 , said bed having at least one bridging arm with wheel for extending out to roll against the side of said platform to stabilize from tipping during transfer of said container. 
     
     
       11. A system as in  claim 2 , said bed being on a highway vehicle. 
     
     
       12. A system as in  claim 2  said interfitting cam track means being a channel on said bed and cam rollers on said container to align in said channel. 
     
     
       13. In a system as in  claim 12 , said channel hiving a telescoping end extension to extend out to engage said container. 
     
     
       14. In a system as in  claim 13 , a guide roller on the bottom of each extension to gage and braces toe extension against the platform. 
     
     
       15. In a system as in  claim 12 , said channel having an extension mounted on said bed to swing out and in horizontally to align with said channel and having its outer end shaped to scoop in said cam rollers.